Susheela M.A. - Novelette by Kalki in English (part 3 of 3)

Chapter 6

Susheela stayed in Chennai for two days after this episode. The organizers of Hitler Gurusamy’s hunger strike requested her to assume leadership of the movement. They claimed that Gurusamy had been part of Congress’ sleeper cell all along. They had suspected for a while and that their theory was proven right when Gurusamy disappeared with the proceeds of the Hunger Strike Fund, amounting to Rs. 350. They swore that Susheela was their new leader, and that they would resume the protests if she started a hunger strike.

None of this helped Susheela rediscover her enthusiasm for the cause. The evening newspapers disheartened her further. There were two pertinent news items.

First, there was a statement from Hitler Gurusamy. He had said: 

‘I’m compelled to speak up, as I heard that there has been an inadequate buzz about the reasons behind my decision to end the hunger strike. My sole motivation was the dignity of Tamil Nadu. Avvayar, our dear Tamil poetess has said: 

Dignity, Pedigree, Education, Strength, Wisdom, Charity, Penance, Efforts, Perseverance and Love for the spoken word - these ten things fly on facing hunger.

If I’d held on to these despite intense hunger, I’d have falsified the words of the great poetess. I didn’t want to!

During my hunger strike, I discovered several secrets of prominent politicians. I also learned of the inscrutable nature of women. I’ll reveal all in due course. The revelations are bound to shock the Tamil public!”

Susheela heaved a sigh. Her anger at Gurusamy gave way to pity. ‘Poor guy! He is guileless, unlike the people who have gathered around me in the last day or two’, she thought.

The second item that caught her attention was the headline:

‘Population Explosion in India. How do we avoid food shortage and starvation?’

There was an interview of Mr. Balasundaram, B.A., M.E., O.P.H. along with his picture. In the interview, Balasundaram had revealed several amazing factoids that were already well known. India’s population in 1930 was 35 crores. In 1940, it was 39.5 crores. In 10 years, the population had increased 4.5 crores, or 12.5%. But the food production had increased only 2.5%. At this rate, a food shortage was inevitable. It was time for the best thinkers of the nation to focus on the issue, or all would be lost.

So what did Balasundaram propose as a solution? He had two recommendations. First, increase food production, using modern techniques used in the western countries. In particular, generating hydroelectric energy from the abundant waterfalls in the country, and using the energy for agricultural purposes. He would focus on these efforts, starting immediately.

Balasundaram resumed, “But this won’t be enough to solve the problem. With all these, it would take 10 years to catch up with the needs of the 40 crore people. But the population would have increased further in this time, widening the gap. To mitigate the issue, at least a crore people should take an oath to remain unmarried and childless. I intend to take the oath, and start a movement for this. But on some occasions…”.

Susheela couldn’t read further. She threw the newspaper down with disgust. The world, which had hitherto resembled an unfriendly desert, now felt like an ocean churned by a tornado. 

She wanted to get away from it all. ‘Where do I go to avoid people? Why, there is just the place - Kutralam! There is the family bungalow. There is the resident gardener for help. I should go there, and let father know my whereabouts’, she mused.

Chapter 7

When Susheela decided to go to Kutralam, it was 8:30 P.M – too late to catch the daily express train. She was not willing to wait till the next day. So she took the slower option of the passenger train. The train traveled at a leisurely pace. It eventually arrived at Tenkasi at 8 PM the next day. She hired a cart to take her to Kutralam.

The cart finally reached the bungalow titled ‘Gomathi’. When she got off the cart, she was surprised that the lights were on. ‘Who could it be?’

The resident gardener hurried to greet her, obviously surprised to see her. ‘An unannounced visit at this hour Ma’m? Did you travel alone? Where are you coming from? Is Sir arriving later?’

‘No, it’s just me. Who’s at home, Madasamy?’

‘Oh, it’s just our Therijikkadu sir!’

That was an unpleasant surprise. She still despised Balasundaram. She did not wish to see him especially after being so publicly disgraced. But it was too late to go back.

‘Tell him I’m here, and that I would like him to vacate the house for me.’

After some hesitation, the gardener trundled off. He returned after a while. ‘

‘He says it’s too late in the day to go anywhere. He suggested that you stay in the room upstairs. It’s unoccupied.’

This seemed satisfactory. Susheela asked Madasamy to get her bags and walked upstairs.

The young cook approached her after a while. ‘Can I bring you dinner, Ma’m?’

“Did sir send you to ask this?’

‘I asked him. He said you wouldn’t be pleased if he offered you dinner, and suggested I ask you directly!’.

Susheela felt a surge of anger, and snapped, ‘I don’t want any dinner!’. The cook retreated.

Susheela, for all her accomplishments, behaved like a stereotypical woman from the stories. She fell face down on her bed and sobbed. She took a while to fall asleep. She woke up late, well after seven. When she walked downstairs, the gardener was taking the dishes for washing. The cook was leaving with a packet in hand.

‘What is this? Where is sir?’

‘Sir has gone uphill to the wooden bridge. I’m taking some dosas for his breakfast. He has instructed me to move his things out.’

Susheela felt her eyes moisten. She said, ‘I’m on my way to the wooden bridge. Don’t move his things until we return.’

There was a pond at the foot of the waterfalls. It was surrounded by clean, whitish rocks. Balasundaram was seated on one of those rocks. He heard footsteps and turned around. He didn’t seem surprised. 

‘To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?’

‘Unexpected perhaps, but is it indeed a pleasure?’

In reply, Balasundaram just smiled.

‘Leave that aside. I heard you asked for your things to be moved. It’s not necessary. I’ll be leaving tonight.’

‘Thank you. Moving is a hassle!’.

He took the cook aside and talked to him for a while.

"We’ve sat here and talked for countless hours. All that seems like a lifetime ago!’, said Susheela, as he returned. They reminisced about the good old days.

After a while, Susheela said, ‘Ok, I’m hungry. Let’s eat. Where are the dosas?’

‘That’s funny!’, said Balasundaram.

‘What is?’

‘I thought you may fly off the handle if I mention dosas. I asked Pazhani to take the breakfast back. Now you’re hungry!’

Susheela laughed aloud. She hadn’t laughed like that for a long time.

‘So, what do we do now?’, asked Susheela.

‘What can we do? We have to wait for lunch. I asked for lunch to be sent to Thenaruvi. Let’s walk there.’

On the way, they talked more about the good old days. They had to jump between and climb over rocks. In several places, Balasundaram had to lend a hand to help Susheela up. They reached Thenaruvi at eleven.

!!!!!

I ask the readers to interpret the above exclamation marks as the verbal description of Thenaruvi.

They bathed in the pond at the foot of the falls. They dried the clothes and wore them again. Then they sat on a rock and waited for Pazhani. Balasundaram told Susheela tales of his visit abroad to distract her from the pangs of hunger. Despite his efforts, Susheela was occasionally looking at her wristwatch, and asking, ‘What is taking Pazhani so long?’ At long last, Pazhani emerged at a distance, carrying a basket on his head. The two moved to the foot of the waterfall, and rinsed the top of a rock in preparation for dining.

Pazhani was nearing them. He had to leap from rock to rock to get to them. Balasundaram called out, ‘Watch out Pazhani! The rocks are smooth. Don’t lose your foothold!’ Before he finished uttering those words, Pazhani’s foot slipped. He waved his hands in an attempt to regain balance. He fell, but luckily was able to hold on to the edge of the rock with his hands. He was dangling on the side of the rock. Unfortunately, the food basket fell in the water, and was being washed away. The lunch would be for the fish.

Balasundaram rushed to help Pazhani up. He conferred with Susheela. ‘No point blaming Pazhani for the accident. Even if we did blame him, it’s not going to make us less hungry. What do we do now?’. 

‘The dosas I made for your breakfast are still there. I can go get them.’, suggested Pazhani.

‘That sounds good. Get them to the wooden bridge. We’ll meet you there’, said Balasundaram.

Chapter 8

It was about 5 P.M when they finally ate the dosas and started their climb down. 

‘Now I know what real hunger feels like’, said Susheela.

“Crores of people in our country experience this every day”.

“Really? I can’t imagine how they survive such hunger. All these days, I used to get irked at the beggers who complained of hunger!’, said Susheela.

‘The population of India is 40 crores. About half of them are continually hungry. If we can’t somehow increase our food production…”

Susheela remembered all that she read in the newspapers. She sighed. 

Balasundaram was holding her hand to help her along the path. He said hesitatingly, ‘If only we could hold hands like this all our lives…!’

Susheela yanked her hand back. ‘I thought you decided to never get married!’.

Balasundaram chuckled, and asked what she meant. Susheela summarized what she had read in the newspapers.

‘Don’t you read anything fully?!’, exclaimed Balasundaram.

‘What is the full story then?’

‘I had concluded by saying that it’s worth marrying if one gets a companion who might help in this noble cause.’

Susheela thought for a while. ‘Do you think I’ll be such a helpful companion?’

‘Who better than you? I can help produce more food, and you can explain to people how to get the best use out of what I produce.”

Susheela chuckled, ‘Yes, you can produce food on one side, and I can make them lose their appetite on the other!’.

‘If they come to Kutralam, they’ll regain their appetite!’, said Balasundaram.

Their laughs mingled with the burble of the waterfall.

THE END.

Acknowledgments:

• A shout-out to Project Madurai, which publishes treasured works of Tamil literature (such as the original Tamil version of this story) online.
• Sujatha Anand for the artwork.

Kalki's works are in the public domain. Copyright for the translated version is with Anand Kannan.